romance fiction – red dust to big smoke

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Monthly Archives: October 2010

I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO shocking at writing in you. As you know, numerous times over the years I’ve tried to keep to a diary writing schedule and looking back on the few attempts I’ve made are hilarious. But fact is, two weeks is the max I ever manage. For some reason, I just can’t commit – no matter how beautiful you are (I’ve bought numerous gorgeous journals for this exact purpose), you just don’t hold my attention for long.

But I’ve been wondering of late if keeping some kind of journal would be therapeutic at this time when writing is a mission to achieve in my life. I’m seriously contemplating opening a new bright pink journal I bought last week and starting a journal/diary for a while.

I wonder if there’s any other writers out there who fail diaries like I do? Or do most writers keep journals as well?

As another aside, I barely slept a WINK last night cos I was waiting for my dear friend LEAH ASHTON to text me with news about how she’d done in the New Voices contest. In the end, I tried to turn off the light and go to sleep but I woke with the baby at 1.30am and checked all the possible announcement sites. As I read the good news – yep if ya haven’t heard, LEAH WON – on Facebook, my phone vibrated announcing a msg. AS IF I could sleep after that fabulous news.

So CONGRATS dear Leah and good luck with what lies ahead 🙂

As for you diary… I’ll keep contemplating the issue and maybe you’ll see me again sooner rather than later.

You know how I published last week that I was taking a wee break from writing to deal with the other stresses in my life?! That declaration broke my heart cos writing is my passion and my dream is publication.

Well… the week has been MEGA-LY stressful in terms of supermarket stuff and there’s so much going on right now that I feel constantly ill and exhausted BUT…

A good (published by M&B) friend of mine was lovely enough to take time from her busy schedule to read my WHOLE book (the one with revise and request from Carina) last week. Her crit was honest and hugely helpful. I have a fabulous first third apparently – like fabulous 🙂 Like I like that news.

BUT…

And there’s always a humongous BUT…

I need to rewrite from chap five onwards.

I’ve read her comments through four or five times and made notes. I thoroughly agree with her thoughts. I need to get my h&H talking and about the conflict much, much sooner than they actually do.

The problem isn’t even the rewrite so much as the time it is going to take. Time that I really don’t have right now.

Now I know we NEED to make time for writing but my life is MAD at the moment. It might slow down for a while next month but then all the school and work functions/assemblies/awards nights start up in the lead up to Christmas. And then in January we’ll either be moving or in the stress between jobs. It’s NOT a good time for my creative world at the moment.

I could probably manage to find time for a new story – but a rewrite is something else entirely.

Sorry – I’m really just rambling here and bringing you up to date. I will not be subbing to Carina again just yet – cos when I do, I want to give them something they can’t resist publishing.

As I’ve said on the blog – a LOT is going on in my life right now. The major thing being that we’ve bought a supermarket and are thus moving to a whole new town in January. This means our house is on the market and I’m trying to pack and organise removalist quotes as well as work out what needs to be done and action it to make our new place liveable at least.

So last week, I made a BIG decision. I decided to stop writing for a while. I’ve finished my revs for Carina and am waiting for a good friend to finish reading the full before I edit and push send. I’ve subbed a partial to the editor I’m working with at M&B and are waiting for her response. I’ve stopped working on my Single Title for the time being.

I was feeling stressed when I WASN’T getting writing done and, when I realised I don’t have contracts or deadlines, I thought this was STUPID, unnecessary stress. This writing stuff is supposed to be FUN!

So I thought that while so much was going on, I’d take the pressure off.

This week… I’ve read more! I’ve watched TWO movies with my husband. I’ve been out to dinner with girlfriends. I’ve played less stressfully with the kids. I’ve kept up to date with the washing. And it feels GOOD!

But strangely, it also feels weird. I miss having a writing project. Even thought it’s only for a short time, it depresses me that I’m letting the dream slip by.

From what I can see its a whole week of editor and authors posts about how to write for Harlequin Romance. There’ll also be writing challenges, which I’m guessing will have prizes (whether they’ll be books or critiques who knows)! It’s not a contest as far as I can tell but it does say there’ll be opportunities for submitting your story. Pity all my complete stories are currently already subbed 😦

But just thought I’d share the news in case you haven’t already heard it – which in the current cyber climate, is probably HIGHLY UNLIKELY!!!

That’s right, I need it BIG TIME! Have just sent off a requested partial and synopsis to the ed I’ve been working with at Mills & Boon, so I’m NTAI again! It’s the story I entered in the New Voices contest and I’m so hoping I get the chance to submit the rest of it!

And on another aside, I have a little confession to make. I kept something TOP secret from everyone (even my hubby and closest writing friends) I knew last month – I subbed a mss to Carina Press. I don’t really know why I didn’t tell anyone but I just wanted something for ME!

I loved this mss and although it was R’d by M&B, it wasn’t for major things like conflict, character or plot. I just didn’t seem to be able to get the sensuality spot-on for Modern Heat.

Well, yesterday I received a revise and resubmit letter from a lovely editor at Carina, so I’m very excited to be getting on with that now.

Ha… that got you to come visit didn’t it!? I figured if I wrote NO NEWS, you wouldn’t bother reading… which is really the truth of this post 🙂

Sorry if you feel conned!!!

Anyway now for the NO NEWS!

I DIDN’T final in NEW VOICES (as you all know by now) but I wasn’t really surprised. Whether my chap was good enough or not, I’ll never know but I had a feeling they wouldn’t pick a past finalist from one of their contests.

I DIDN’T meet my goal of writing another 20k on my Single Title in September – I barely made 2000k!

I DIDN’T sub anything but am planning to really soon. Have been battling it out with my synopsis for One Rogue, One Damsel for almost a week now (school hols here so NOTHING is happening fast) and have almost got it to a point I’m vaguely happy with. The BM and the ending have caused me REAL issues. I’m basically a pantser – I work out conflicts and some key scenes, usually a title too, and then I just go for it. Problem is that this time, I’m subbing a partial before having a complete mss (for a number of reasons) and so I can’t write the synopsis checking back on what actually happened in the full. Thanks to fabulous CPs and writing buddies (you know who you are!), I’ve got it a lot better than I would have on my own 🙂 And I think I’ll send it off this week, unless I get chosen to be one of the NV extra 10 crits, in that case I’ll wait till that feedback.

Although I didn’t final in NV, I enjoyed reading the other entries (I unfortunately didn’t read nearly as many as Susan Wilson) and am stoked for my fabulous writing friend and fellow sandgroper (someone who lives in WA) Leah Ashton who DID final. I’ve had a sneak peak of her second chap too and you won’t be disappointed! However probably the highlight of NV for me was Heidi Rice’s comments on my entry and her advice on how to tighten it up and improve the internal conflicts. Oh and the fact that she mentioned me as one of her faves on her blog was almost as good as Top Tenning it for me!

So… that’s where I’m at. Not really any further than I was in September but then again there’s lots of other things going on in my life at the moment. Our house is on the market, we’ve just bought a supermarket and are moving to a new country town early next year… so at the moment, ANY writing is a bonus!

Hopefully I’ll be back soon with more riveting writing news or craft chat.

about me

Writer for MIRA and Carina Press, Supermarket owner, "retired" English teacher (don't hold that against me), undomestic goddess, proud wifey and mum of three incredibly gorgeous heroes-in-training! Life is good :)